Ranma and Hikaru
by Kimura Ayame
Summary: A Ranma rewrite with one main difference... that is, TWO main characters. Saotome Ranma and Zugaikotsu Hikaru, who trained together under Hikaru's father for years. You'll have to read to find out what happened...
1. RH Part 1: A Rainy Day in Nerima

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**Disclaimer/Legal Crap:**

I make no claim to own Ranma 1/2, nor any characters contained herein which appear in Takahashi's official Ranma manga and/or anime. I merely claim ownership over the characters, situations, and places herein which have come forth from my own creativity. If any attempt is going to be made to steal my ideas, I should point out that some of these characters are adapted from my own original stories, making this attempt a copyright infringement. You've been warned.

**Introduction:**

This will be the third version of Ranma and Hikaru that I've written. The first version had an introduction called "Onegai", in which the canon version of Saotome Ranma made an accidental wish that caused him to wake up in my version of the Ranma universe, back before the beginning of the Ranma 1/2 series. The second version erased that introduction, and all references to Ranma's "previous life". The edit was kind of rushed, though, and I never got around to actually crafting the story to make more sense with that new basis. Since my recent return to I've been rewriting each of my posted stories whenever the mood struck me. So, thanks to a marathon viewing of the first two seasons of the Ranma 1/2 anime, it looks like I'll get around to this one after all. Hope everyone enjoys it!

**Notes:**

In this fic, the terms "Onna-Hikaru" and "Onna-Ranma" will be used, as opposed to the commonly used "-chan". Same with "Otoko-Hikaru" and "Otoko-Ranma". The suffixes "-chan" and "-kun" have specific meanings in Japanese, and we will stick to that for this series. This fic does not use the terms "boy-type" or "girl-type," mainly because I think they sound stupid. Other Japanese terms will show up throughout the story, but usually only when the Japanese is important to the plot. Anyway... notes, technicalities, and other boring stuff aside, let's get to the story already!

**PART 1: A Rainy Day in Nerima**

On the streets of Nerima, two figures walked. Both were within centimeters of the same height -- the taller one was male, and more muscular. His black hair was tied in a pigtail, and he wore Chinese-style clothes. A red sleeveless shirt and dark pants, specifically. The shorter one was female, definitely a bit older, and quite attractive, with waist-length lavender hair tied in a ponytail, and deep violet eyes; she was wearing a black gi with a flaming skull emblem that seemed a few sizes too big for her. Both travellers were drenched from the pouring rain. Ranma asked, "So... where do ya wanna go, Hikaru? I mean... we don't exactly want the confusion of stayin' with my mom, huh? You'd have to pretend to be Hikari, and everything..."

Hikaru frowned, "Where else can we go?"

After a moment's thought, Ranma shrugged, "The Tendou dojo. I hear the owner's an old friend of Pop's."

The girl looked at him strangely, "Hey, don't you want to gain your father's approval before you start making good on his promises?"

Ranma looked back at her and paused. He turned away, "You know... you really do look like your sister..."

"I know that I look like Hikari. We're twins. But I asked you a question, Ranma."

Ranma shook his head, "Nah... Pop's been travelling since I left home. I won't bother going to look for him. But if I go to the Tendous' and become engaged to one of Tendou-san's daughters..."

Hikaru nodded, understanding, "He'll come to us, instead."

"Exactly." Ranma smiled, "Besides, they never said anything about actually marryin' one of 'em. Just an engagement. No sweat, right?"

Hikaru looked down, sensing that Ranma's confidence could be his downfall, "Yeah... no sweat."

Ranma paused, "Hey, what's wrong, Hikaru?" After a moment, a mischeivous glint appeared in his eyes, "You upset that I'm gettin' engaged to another girl?"

Hikaru frowned, "And who exactly are you calling a girl, Saotome?" Her tone indicated that she was not really too angry at being called a girl, but she was upset at the insinuation that there was any chance that she was interested in him... in that way.

Ranma grinned, "That'd be you, Hikaru-chan. But don't worry, I'm sure I could save myself for you..."

Hikaru clenched her fist, "You're paying for that one, Saotome!"

---

Elsewhere in Tokyo, a panda carrying quite a large pack walked around, holding a sign -- "Have you seen Saotome Ranma? Reward available for location of this sixteen-year-old boy." A crude drawing of a head with a black pigtail accompanied the text.

The few people who were watching either didn't know who this Saotome Ranma was, or decided that this panda must be some kind of hallucination. A young man passing by mumbled, "Hm... a Japanese panda in Beijing... that's odd..." On a second glance at the sign, the boy froze, "Saotome... Ranma?"

---

At the Tendou dojo, the family was following their normal routine. Kasumi was in the kitchen, Nabiki was enjoying a manga in her room, and Akane was setting up concrete blocks in the dojo, preparing to demolish them. Tendou Soun gazed forlornly out at the pond, wondering why he hadn't heard from his friend Genma in so long. He heaved a despondent sigh, '_Perhaps our schools will never be joined, Saotome-kun..._' Suddenly, the front door opened...

---

Kasumi stopped what she was doing, being extra careful to turn off any potentially dangerous kitchen appliances before answering the door. She smiled her very unique smile at the two guests, "Welcome. Are you dojo challengers? Father prefers challengers to use the back entrance..."

Ranma, now sporting a very nice-looking black eye, courtesy of Hikaru's punishment, interrupted, "No, Tendou Kasumi-san... my name is Saotome Ranma. My father was a good friend of Tendou Soun-san."

"Oh... Father is outside, by the pond. Would you like to talk to him?"

Ranma glanced at Hikaru, an unspoken question in his eyes. Hikaru nodded, understanding Ranma's concern. Ranma turned to face Kasumi again, "You may want to gather your whole family for this, Kasumi."

---

Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Soun, and Hikaru sat around the table. Ranma looked at Soun, a serious expression on his face, "I am Saotome Ranma, your friend Saotome Genma's son. I have heard that you and my father had an... agreement, some time ago."

Soun frowned, puzzledly, "But Saotome-kun said..."

Ranma returned the frown, "Said what?"

"Saotome-kun... told me his son was not worthy."

"That was eleven years ago."

Soun's eyes widened, "How... how did you know?! He told me you had left!"

Ranma had expected this reaction, and calmly explained, "Actually, it's a longer story than that. When I was five, my father wanted me to go on a training journey. My mother thought it would be dangerous, and left the final decision up to me. I refused. I didn't want to go traipsin' around China, just to learn martial arts. But Pop refused to train me after that.

"About seven months later, I saw a boy about three years older than me, training. I noticed some similarities between his style and Pop's, so I asked him who was teaching him. The boy's name was Zugaikotsu Hikaru, and he was being trained by his father. Like Hikaru, I only knew him as Zugaikotsu-sensei.

"I asked Zugaikotsu-sensei if he would help me learn my father's style. He agreed, though he warned me that it would require me to observe the Saotome style and learn as much from watching it as I learned from Zugaikotsu-sensei himself. I worked hard at it, and eventually learned mostly my family's style of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, with some Zugaikotsu influence. I had learned from watching Pop that I should incorporate any useful techniques I could. After that, we began to travel -- the Zugaikotsu family and I -- to expand our individual styles and learn some new, possibly more advanced, techniques.

"When I came back to Nerima, I figured I'd drop by." Ranma decided that was enough of the story, leaving out the part that his agreement to be engaged to one of Tendou-san's daughters was actually bait to lure his father to the dojo.

"I see..." Soun's eyes began pouring like faucets, "Finally! The Saotome and Tendou families can be joined! Oh, what a happy occassion!!!"

Nabiki was still skeptical. The newcomer was cute, and probably uncommonly honest, but something about his story wasn't right, "So why isn't this Genma here?"

Ranma grinned, "Oh, I'm sure Pop'll be comin' any day now."

Nabiki was satisfied... for now. She could wait to find out the truth about this Ranma. She turned to her father, who was still doing his best impression of Niagra Falls, "So, Daddy, what's this agreement you had with this boy's father?"

Soun cleared his throat, all signs of tears gone, "Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi... Saotome-kun and I had decided that when we had children, we would engage two of them to carry on the dojo, and unite the Tendou and Saotome schools of Anything-Goes Martial Arts."

Akane was livid, if that were an adequate description, "WHAT?! You mean one of us has to MARRY this guy?!"

Kasumi sighed, "Too young... what a shame."

Nabiki smiled. This was an easy way to get information on Ranma. Plus, he was kinda cute. She didn't say anything... she had to time it just right. Unless the family did the work for her. They were useful like that.

Soun quickly threw his arm around Ranma and motioned to his three daughters in his best game-show "pick-a-door" gesture, "Well, Ranma... which one are you interested in? Kasumi here's nineteen... Nabiki's seventeen... and Akane's sixteen. Pick any one you want."

Ranma was about to answer, but really wasn't sure. He didn't really have any intention of going through with marrying any of them, so any one was as good as another, but he didn't want to hurt anyone either.

While Ranma was distracted, Akane muttered, "Nabiki here seems excited enough..."

Kasumi nodded, "Of course... he's too young for me, and Akane hates boys. Nabiki would definitely be the best choice."

Soun grinned, "Then it's settled! Ranma, meet your new fiancée, Tendou Nabiki!"

Ranma could not explain the chill that suddenly hit his spine... like he had just signed his own death warrant. Nabiki seemed nice enough... what was putting his danger sense on overtime? After all, she was just some girl... right?

Hikaru finally spoke up, sensing Ranma's discomfort, "Ranma... pull yourself together."

Kasumi finally noticed the girl, "Oh! Ranma, you never introduced your friend."

Hikaru didn't stand up and bow, since doing so in her currently oversized gi would have most likely spilled two of her very female body parts out of said gi. She merely said, "Zugaikotsu Hikaru."

Nabiki frowned. She didn't like competition, "Are you... his girlfriend?"

Hikaru was shocked and unable to speak for a moment, while Ranma merely chuckled to himself, all traces of fear concerning Tendou Nabiki gone. Kasumi spoke instead, "I don't think Ranma would have come here with a girlfriend if he intended to be engaged to one of us."

Akane muttered, "Unless he's some kind of pervert..."

Kasumi snapped at Akane, "Akane! He's a guest! You should be more polite."

Akane lowered her head, "Sorry, Kasumi..."

Nabiki parsed her current information through her brain, "Wait... isn't Zugaikotsu Hikaru the name of the boy you said you trained with?" Inwardly, she felt triumphant. She had found the problem... the falsehood in Ranma's story. If this girl was Zugaikotsu Hikaru, then that proved that Ranma was lying.

Ranma looked at Hikaru first to make sure she approved. She nodded. Ranma said, "That's another long story, Nabiki." He heard the sound of a kettle whistling, "Kasumi, would you bring me that kettle, please? It's kinda important."

Kasumi nodded and brought the kettle to Ranma. Ranma took it and poured it over Hikaru. The whole Tendou family cringed, except for Kasumi, who just muttered, "Oh, my..."

Otoko-Hikaru was panting, "A little... less hot... next time..." Unlike his female form, Hikaru was now a somewhat tall and muscular young man with black hair. The gi he wore suddenly fit perfectly.

Akane's whole view of the world was shattered, "You... you turned into a... a... boy?!"

Hikaru decided it was time to tell the story, "I'll explain. Recently, Ranma and I were travelling in China, when eventually, in the Quinghai province, we came upon the legendary cursed training grounds of Jusenkyou. We were fully aware of the dangers involved, and avoided the cursed springs as if our lives depended on it. Eventually, though, while Ranma and I were sparring with my father, he reacted to Ranma's attack by instinct, and accidentally sent him straight toward _Nyanniichuan_..." The glares he got from the Tendous proved that they didn't know the Chinese term. Hikaru cleared his throat and continued, "The Spring of the Drowned Girl, which transforms any living creature that falls into it... into a young woman. I couldn't let that happen to my best friend, so..." He closed his eyes. His entire body turned pitch black and dashed outside into the garden. Not a second later, a blur dashed from the front door back to the table. Hikaru sat back down, "I used that same speed technique to knock Ranma away. Unfortunately, my momentum had increased to the point that... well, I fell into the spring instead of him. Now, cold water changes me into a girl, while hot water changes me back into a guy." He chuckled, almost nervously, "Too bad cold water seems to be more common."

Ranma interrupted, "We swam back from China, and it's been raining since we got here, so... he's been a girl for days now."

Nabiki decided it was time she started to get to know this Ranma better. After all, these stories were intriguing, but they weren't giving her the information she needed. She clutched Ranma's arm, "So, Ranma-chan... don't you think we should talk... maybe get to know each other better?" Ranma sighed as he stood up to follow her. He couldn't read Nabiki's motives, and he just had to know what was making him so... nervous about being engaged to her.

Kasumi looked at Hikaru, who was now quite taller than she was instead of slightly shorter, "In the meantime, Hikaru, why don't I show you to your room?"

"Wha...?" Hikaru looked at Kasumi, obviously having been interrupted from a train of thought.

"You do intend to stay here with Ranma, don't you?"

Hikaru nodded and followed Kasumi to one of the spare rooms, "Will Ranma be staying in this room too?"

Kasumi blushed slightly, "Oh, my, no! That wouldn't be proper with your... condition."

Hikaru merely shrugged, "I guess not." He sighed, "I've got a lot to get used to..."

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**Notes on Japanese terms in this chapter:**

1. '-sensei': A suffix and/or title denoting a teacher or a person of great knowledge, most commonly used in martial arts, education, and medicine fields.

2. '-chan': A suffix denoting familiarity or intimacy, or a diminutive when speaking to children or pets. Used between two females to denote close friendship, and also among children in the same context. Between a male and female, it may imply a closer relationship.

3. '-kun': A suffix usually used to refer to younger persons or colleagues, in place of suffixes like '-san' or '-sama'. Other specific usages are hard to pin down.

4. 'dojo': A training hall. Also in common use in the English language.

**Added Note on a Chinese term:**

1. 'Nyanniichuan': Fans of Ranma should be familiar with this one. Unfortunately, I've seen so many different spellings, official and unofficial, that I can't be sure I got it right. Fellow purists are welcome to email me on this subject.


	2. RH Part 2: First Day of School

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**Notes:**

I have no idea how to spell Tofu's name in the original Japanese. I've seen spellings ranging from Tofu to Toufuu. Whatever it is, until I figure it out, I'm using the translated rendition.

**PART 2: First Day of School**

Early morning, at the Tendou dojo, Ranma and Hikaru were sparring in the garden. Ranma caught an opening and sent Hikaru flying... straight into the _koi_ pond. Ranma winced as he saw the splash, "Sorry, Hikaru..."

Onna-Hikaru stood up and wrung out her hair, "It's okay, Ranma. Nice move."

"Thanks."

Kasumi approached the two, "Hikaru-kun, are there any clothes you need to wash?"

Hikaru looked at her gi... it hadn't been washed in some time, "Yeah, this gi, but..." She flushed, "I... don't have any other clothes. I left them all in China."

Nabiki, who overheard the conversation from nearby, interjected, "Well, that wasn't very smart."

Kasumi smiled, "Oh, that's no problem. You can just borrow some of mine while it's in the wash... at least then, you'll be wearing something decent. We can go shopping for more clothes later, if you want. It'd be nice to have someone else along."

Hikaru froze, "Borrow... you mean, wear... girls' clothes?"

"I don't see why not. You are a girl right now, aren't you?"

Hikaru glanced down at herself, "Uh... that's a good point... I guess..."

---

Hikaru sat on Kasumi's bed, in only her boxers. Kasumi shook her head, "Now, those won't do at all. They're practically falling off!" She began digging through one of her drawers and handed Hikaru a pair of white bikini briefs with a small rose embroidered on the waistline. She explained, "Those should fit. Don't worry, I haven't worn them or anything." Hikaru reluctantly changed into the women's undergarment... which fit perfectly, to her surprise. Kasumi then laid out some other items for Hikaru to wear.

Hikaru gazed at the bra she had been given. Three minutes of inspection had not provided any useful information about it, "Um... Kasumi, how do you... put this on?" With a bit of Kasumi's help, Hikaru was able to learn how to dress herself, an entirely new experience with this body. She looked herself over in Kasumi's mirror -- wearing a plain, simple dress a shade or two lighter than her hair color, and black shoes.

Kasumi asked, "What do you think?"

"It's alright, I guess." After a pause, she asked, "Are you sure this isn't cross-dressing? I mean, I'm really a guy and all..."

"Of course it's not. You have a girl's body right now, so why shouldn't you wear the proper clothing? It's only natural... and your other clothes would be much too large for your female body."

"Um, I... suppose..."

---

Ranma stopped dead in his tracks as Kasumi and Hikaru came out, "Hi... Hika... Hika..."

Hikaru smiled teasingly, "Now, Ranma, I know I'm attractive, but... tch... losing your mind over your best friend?"

Ranma had to cover for himself, and he knew just the thing. He replied, "Oh... I was just trying to keep myself from saying 'Hikari.' You know, you really are her identical twin now."

"Well, I would think that was obvious, Saotome."

"Betcha can't cook like her, though."

Hikaru cracked. So did Ranma. Both of them started laughing hysterically. Hikaru recovered first, "Okay, Ranma... that one was a draw. I'll get you next time, though."

Kasumi clearly had no idea what was going on. Hikaru explained, "That was... a sort of contest. You know, to see who laughs first?"

Kasumi nodded slowly... she still didn't quite understand, but she had a decent idea. Suddenly, she remembered something, "Oh! Ranma... isn't today the first day of school?"

"Oh... right. Where's Nabiki? Wasn't she supposed to..."

Kasumi interrupted, "I think Nabiki and Akane left already..."

Hikaru stepped forward, "I'll walk with him. I know where Furinkan is."

Ranma had a vague idea where the school was, but it had been some time since he had last been in Nerima, and he had never attended Furinkan before. He replied, "Thanks, Hikaru."

Kasumi called after Hikaru, "Don't forget, we're going shopping for clothes today."

Hikaru had completely forgotten the offer. Not wanting to disappoint Kasumi, she called over her shoulder, "Right."

---

As Hikaru walked on the sidewalk, Ranma kept to the fencetop, as was his custom. Hikaru looked up at him, "You know, I could go faster than that..."

Ranma grinned at the challenge, "Not in that dress, you can't."

"I guess you're right... unless I want some pervert to look up my skirt."

Ranma stopped suddenly, "Wait..." He hopped down from the fence, right in front of Hikaru. "You aren't wearing..." He lowered his voice considerably, "... girls' underwear... are you?"

Hikaru replied, slightly amused, "I didn't know that was a topic of interest for you, Ranma-chan. Wanna see for yourself?"

Ranma's eyes widened in pure shock. Hikaru forced back what might have been a giggle, "I was kidding, Ranma. If you really want to know so badly... yes, I am."

Ranma managed to peel himself off of the sidewalk and hop back up on the fence, "Now, if I was the one that got cursed, I never would have agreed to that."

"Kasumi insisted. She's very persuasive... I don't know how she does it. Besides, if I'm going to be a girl for half of my life, I should probably get used to it, right?"

Ranma understood Hikaru's logic. That didn't mean he had to agree with it, though. He answered with a disinterested, "I guess so."

Just then, Hikaru felt something touch her shoulder. She jumped and spun around, striking a stance in the process. She found herself facing a skeleton. A taller man with glasses looked down at her, "I'm sorry, Miss... it's only my skeleton, Betty..."

Ranma recognized him, "Tofu-sensei!"

Tofu looked at Ranma, "Have we met before?"

"Once. I was injured from martial arts training for a certain technique... training with the Zugaikotsu family. And the Tendou family mentioned you too."

Tofu smiled, "Ah, yes... Ranma, wasn't it? The son of Saotome Genma." He turned toward Hikaru, "I don't believe we have met before..."

Hikaru bowed. Ranma, glancing over, noticed that she had adopted the traditional female version of the bow. Hikaru said, "I am staying at the Tendou dojo. My name is Zugaikotsu Hikaru."

Tofu nodded, "Staying with the Tendou family, hm? Well, Ranma, Hikaru, be sure to come to me if you ever have any injuries."

Ranma called back as he and Hikaru were leaving, "Sure thing, Tofu-sensei!"

---

As Ranma and Hikaru continued to walk, Hikaru said, "I never heard Tofu's name mentioned."

"Nabiki told me about him. He's pretty much their family doctor."

"Martial arts master?"

"Yep. That's what they say. Couldn't sense him behind you?"

"Not a trace."

The two came within view of Furinkan, and saw Akane running toward the school. Suddenly and without warning, a horde of boys came out of Furinkan. Akane screamed, "Outta my way! I'm late!!!"

Ranma smiled. He wanted to practice again in a real-life scenario, and this was perfect. He turned to Hikaru, "You heard her. She told them to get out of her way."

Hikaru nodded, grinning, "And they're still coming."

Ranma braced himself, "Give me a boost."

Hikaru's entire body became pure black, and she pushed Ranma, who looked like he was dashing at an insane speed. Hikaru dashed behind him as well.

Ranma and Hikaru struck their stances in front of Akane, who was stunned at seeing the two run in front of her so fast. The two martial artists made quick work of the group of boys, being sure to let enough of them through so Akane wouldn't feel left out. A voice came from the high school, "Who are you to interfere in the affairs of the sweet Tendou Akane?"

Kunou stepped forward, "However, it is customary to give one's own name first, so I shall. I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, Upperclassman Kunou Tatewaki!"

Ranma, completely disinterested, replied, "Saotome Ranma. Don't worry, I have no interest in your 'sweet Tendou Akane.' But fifty against one is never fair. Even if the one is as skilled as Akane." He felt obligated to add that last part, since he had noticed Akane's pride in her martial arts skill. Besides, the guys they had just fought were hardly even a workout for him, so Akane probably beat them up daily.

Hikaru chimed in, "Yeah, who started this, anyway?"

Kunou turned and stared at her, "Ah, such a pure display of raw skill and talent... do you wish to challenge me?"

Hikaru eagerly took her stance, "You bet!"

"Very well. If you win, I shall allow you to date me."

Hikaru was taken aback, "W...wait, who said anything about...?"

Ranma interrupted, with amazingly quick thinking for a Saotome, "Just attack him!!!"

The resulting kick sent Kunou flying straight toward Jupiter, as well as giving the guys that were still conscious a good look at Hikaru's panties.

Ranma no longer doubted Hikaru's undergarments, but regretted having looked. That nearly made him no better than the group of perverts that had looked intentionally. He was then dragged rather unceremoniously into the building by Akane, "Get over here, Ranma! We're gonna be late!"

---

Inside classroom 2-E, the teacher was checking over the classroom, "Hm... has anyone seen Kunou Tatewaki?" Suddenly, Kunou came crashing through the window. The teacher sighed, "Tatewaki-kun, I'm sure you'll pay for those damages."

Nabiki looked at Kunou, "I think he's unconscious."

The teacher looked over, "Oh. So he is. Would you move him to his seat, Nabiki?"

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**Notes on Japanese terms in this chapter:**

1. 'koi': A fish - specifically, a carp. Also a word for love, which explains the double meaning in a certain magical fishing rod that may or may not appear sometime in this story.


	3. RH Part 3: Two Timing

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**PART 3: Two-Timing**

In the middle of the first day of school, Kunou had finally recovered from his crash through the window. Nabiki asked, "So, Kunou, what sent you through the window?"

Kunou sighed, "Whilst the fiend Saotome Ranma distracted me, a surprise attack from my lavender-haired goddess defeated me, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

Nabiki frowned, "Lavender-haired... you mean Hikaru?!"

Kunou's eyes began to tear, "Such a picture of feminine grace and beauty, she of the lavender hair has conquered my heart!"

Nabiki muttered, "Why not? You've already lost your mind." She continued, out loud, "What about Akane?"

Kunou frowned, as if trying to remember, "Akane? Oh, yes, Akane, the purest of all girls..."

Nabiki allowed herself a moment of genuine anger, "You are not going to two-time my sister!"

Kunou scoffed, "Don't be so vulgar. I merely refuse to deceive myself by choosing one over the other. They are both so..."

"Unattainable."

"Not exactly what I was thinking." Kunou paused, deep in thought, "It would seem that this Saotome Ranma has some dalliance with my goddess of beauty and grace..."

Nabiki interrupted, "He's not with her. He's my fiancé."

"Your fiancé, hm? No wonder I detest him so."

Suddenly, a girl behind them looked at Nabiki, "You're the new boy's fiancée? I'm sooo jealous!"

Another girl piped up, "Yeah, if he's engaged to Nabiki, we don't have a chance!"

A chorus of girls agreed, though some made comments implying that Nabiki could probably be bought off from the engagement. Nabiki felt her money-making instincts activate...

... She ignored them. At least where Ranma was concerned. "So, Kunou, you want this lavender-haired goddess of yours, hm? I may be able to arrange something. Don't expect too much, though."

"I see. It will cost more."

Nabiki smiled, "I see you get it, Kunou-chan."

"Never call me that, Tendou Nabiki."

"Okay, Kunou-chan."

---

Back at the Tendou dojo, Hikaru was very happy to get her own gi back after it had dried. Kasumi watched as she went off to take a bath and change, then went back to reading the book she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu. With the house perfectly tidy, the groceries well-stocked, her younger sisters and Ranma at school, and Soun off doing... whatever it was he did during the day, Kasumi and Hikaru pretty much had the house to themselves. Kasumi smiled to herself, '_It's almost like we were..._'

She cut off the thought. Where had that come from? Well... okay, Hikaru's natural male form was attractive, but...

She frowned, '_But what?_' Sure he wasn't really older than her, but he was the same age. And hardly boring at all. It was probably impossible to be boring when you have a curse that changes your gender depending on what temperature water happens to be when it touches you.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a man's voice, "You ready?"

Kasumi jumped, "Oh... Hikaru..."

Hikaru was back in male form, wearing his gi again, "Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Oh! No... of course not!" She stood up and put the book down, "I've just been waiting for you to finish your bath."

---

Ranma and Akane, still standing in the hall, remained quiet, almost refusing to talk to each other. After a long silence, Akane huffed, "It's your fault, you know."

Ranma froze, "Wait a minute, my fault?! I tried to speed things up for you!"

"I don't need your help, you... pig!!!" She readied her buckets to splash the boy next to her.

"Sheesh, Akane... a little touchy about this, aren't you?" Ranma dodged two streams of water from Akane and... somebody else.

Kunou came charging down the hallway, "Saotome! What know you about the goddess of the lavender hair?!"

Ranma frowned, puzzled, then realized who Kunou was talking about. He groaned, "Kunou... if you knew what I know, you would definitely not be interested in her." He dodged Kunou's attacks and began running, "Follow me! We'll take this outside!"

Kunou chased after him, "Coward! You flee from a man-to-man battle?!"

As Ranma leapt out of the building, he luckily had aimed to the left, avoiding the pool below and landing safely on the ground. He then watched, chuckling to himself, as Kunou fell into the pool face-first. He grinned and leaned against a tree, "Alright, Kunou. Whenever you're ready."

Kunou pulled himself out of the pool and stood up, fuming, "Wretched Saotome!!! Your trickery will not defeat the Blue Thunder!!!"

---

One of the students watching frowned, "Blue Thunder? When did that start?"

Nabiki sighed in boredom, "This morning, when he introduced himself to Ranma-chan."

---

Kunou was even more pissed that Ranma wasn't even standing ready, just leaning against a tree, "Peasant!!! You mock the great Kunou Tatewaki?!"

Ranma dodged his sword attack, but the tree didn't. As it fell, Ranma said, "I have a feeling I'll be making a habit out of mocking you, Kunou." He vaulted over Kunou's head, dodging a whole series of incoming strikes. In the half-second it took Kunou to realize his opponent had moved, Ranma had knocked him down with a kick to the head. In fact, that's why Kunou realized his opponent had moved.

Ranma shook his head at the pitiful figure below him, "Face it, Kunou, you've got no chance against me."

Kunou didn't answer, or even move. He was unconscious.

The students above gasped, murmuring their surprise at the newcomer defeating Kunou so easily. The girls from Nabiki's class whined once again about how unfair it was that Nabiki had already snagged him, while the girls from the other classes whined for the first time. Nabiki was quite satisfied about her fiance's work. Especially since it wouldn't cost her a single yen.

---

Meanwhile, Kasumi and Hikaru had bought a decent amount of clothing for Hikaru, who started to leave. Kasumi watched him, "Where are you going?"

"Home. We're done, right?"

Kasumi seemed confused, "I thought you wanted clothes for your girl half, too?"

"I don't really think that'll help much. I mean, I change whenever cold water hits me. I'll end up wearing these clothes as a girl anyway."

"What if you have to go somewhere as a girl?"

"Not likely."

"Didn't that happen today?"

Hikaru began to argue, but realized something. Kasumi was right, and she wasn't giving up. He gave in, "Alright, but I have to change first."

"Hm? Into what?"

Hikaru sighed deeply. It was amazing how Kasumi could be so intelligent and insightful one second, and completely naïve the next.

Kasumi understood, "Oh! You mean... that..."

---

After school, three girls approached Nabiki. Nabiki glanced in their general direction -- potential customers were to be treated politely, if a bit coldly, "Yes?"

One of the girls asked, "You're Ranma's fiancée, right?"

"Yes."

Another girl asked, "And you live together, right?"

Nabiki was getting annoyed, "Yes, we live in the same house."

The third girl spoke, "So you can get us information, right?"

"That depends."

The girl in front handed Nabiki five thousand yen. Nabiki put on her classic smirk, "Well, for five thousand yen, he's been training in the martial arts with his best friend for eleven years. He just came to the Tendou dojo yesterday, to make good on an agreement between our fathers. I agreed to become his fiancée."

One of the girls stared at Nabiki, "You've only been engaged for a day?! Haven't you at least gone on a date?"

Nabiki grinned almost evilly, but retained her neutral coolness, "How much?"

The girls sighed in exasperation as rather large sweat drops formed on their heads. Nabiki knew she had just gained three new regulars.

---

Later that day, Onna-Hikaru, wearing the clothes Kasumi had given her, was walking back to the Tendou dojo with Kasumi. They had bought mostly Chinese-style martial arts outfits for Hikaru's female body, though they also got a few dresses and some casual street clothes. Kasumi had insisted that they all looked cute on Hikaru, and the lavender-haired girl hadn't had the willpower to argue. Which made Hikaru's female wardrobe about three times as large as her male wardrobe. Before that day, Hikaru had never really paid much attention to how much variety there was in women's clothing. Now, she was practically swimming in it.

Kasumi decided to start a conversation on the way home. Mainly because she was curious about Hikaru. "So... um, how long have you been cursed?"

Hikaru thought about it for a second, "Probably a bit more than a month."

Kasumi bit her lip... her next question might be a bit too sensitive, and she wasn't certain how to ask. But the question was just nagging at the back of her mind. In the end, she managed to ask in the most polite way possible. "Um, how much do you... change?"

"What do you mean? You've seen me... it's a complete physical transformation."

"What about... other things?"

Hikaru shook her head, "I don't think so. Well... it's kind of weird. I'm not sure how to explain it. Sometimes I automatically react differently than I would as a guy, but I don't realize it until afterward. It's like... my instincts are different. Nothing majorly different, just... little things." She chuckled to herself, "I don't even know what that means, so it probably doesn't really answer your question."

Kasumi smiled, "Not really... but it's okay." She was satisfied with the answers she had gotten so far. She continued, "If you want, we can be friends, Hikaru-chan."

Hikaru stopped, a bit taken aback by the "-chan" suffix Kasumi had suddenly added to her name, "What?"

"I said that we can be friends. I think that since you have a girl's body, it might help you if you had a close girl friend to talk to. Don't you think?" In her own innocent way, Kasumi was being extremely intuitive.

"Um... I guess..." Hikaru smiled, "Yeah... I think I'd like that."

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**Notes on Japanese terms in this chapter:**

1. 'yen': If you don't know the Japanese monetary system, what the hell are you doing reading this? Go watch some Ranma DVDs, or buy a few volumes of the manga.


	4. RH Part 4: A Dark and Stormy Night

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**PART 4: A Dark and Stormy Night**

At night, in the Tendou dojo, Ranma looked out the window, "Hm... rain again..." Ever since Hikaru had been cursed, Ranma's awareness of the weather had increased. If he hadn't let that attack get through...

A voice behind him asked, "What's wrong, Ranma?"

Ranma turned around to see his best friend standing in the doorway, in male form, with his Zugaikotsu gi on. Ranma shrugged, "Just thinkin' about... y'know. Jusenkyou."

Hikaru sighed, "Ranma, it wasn't your fault and you know it."

Ranma snapped back, "Of course it's my fault! I should have been ready for that attack!"

"Zugaikotsu-sensei didn't intend to attack you, and you didn't expect it because it was a training session, not a real-life situation."

Ranma turned away, looking out at the rain, "It should have been me, Hikaru. I should be the one who is cursed right now."

Hikaru sat down next to Ranma, "Maybe. But you're not, and I am. It's already past, Ranma. You can't change it."

Before Ranma could say anything else, they heard someone at the front door. Ranma and Hikaru exchanged glances, then ran to the door. They both knew who was coming, and all hell would break loose if they didn't stop him.

---

At the door, Ranma saw a huge panda. He didn't have much time to look, but he recognized its motions easily. He smirked, "So, Pop, Jusenkyou wasn't very good to ya, huh?" He dodged the panda's attack and took his stance. Onna-Hikaru joined him, wearing a blue Chinese-style outfit.

She stopped at the sight of the panda, "Ranma, that's your father?!"

"I'd know that style anywhere, Hikaru!" After all, Ranma had spent years watching his father practice and fight. He knew the style better than anybody else. Unless Genma had lowered himself to actually training a panda.

Hikaru shrugged and joined the fight. Genma couln't defend himself against both attackers for long. He failed to redirect their attacks against each other, and was looking desperately for some kind of cheap tactic to take advantage of. Before an opportunity could present itself, a female voice interrupted, "Daddy! Ranma! Stop it!!!"

All three combatants froze and turned to face the newcomer. She was a young woman, about eighteen, and a little shorter than Hikaru in her current female form. She had long, wavy, red hair and deep blue eyes that matched Ranma's precisely. The only thing that hinted that she was not an older version of Ranma's cursed body from another reality was the simple pink dress and shoes she wore. Ranma grinned, recognizing the newcomer, "Reiko!"

Panda-Genma held up a sign that said, "Stay out of this, girl!"

Reiko frowned, arms crossed, and then shrugged, "Oh, okay. Ranma, Hikari... kill him."

Ranma and Hikaru took their stances and grinned evilly at Genma. The panda's eyes widened and he shook his head, taking out another sign -- "I'm a peace-loving panda!"

Reiko stood beside her cursed father, shaking her head, "You know, you really are pathetic." Out of nowhere, she had slammed the panda on the head with a frying pan. Ranma and Hikaru stared at her in disbelief as the huge panda fell.

Reiko frowned, "What? Do I have something on my face?" She glanced at the frying pan, "Oh." She quickly hid it behind her back, trying to look innocent.

---

Inside, Ranma sat at the table across from Reiko, "So, what are you doing here, Reiko?"

Reiko shrugged, "Daddy came home a while ago, talking about how he couldn't find his 'pathetic, weakling son.' I told him you had studied martial arts without his help and he went berserk. When I heard that you were engaged to Tendou Nabiki, I told Daddy, and he ran off to find you."

Soun walked by, and both Ranma and Reiko stood up. He looked the girl over, "Hm... Ranma, who's the young lady?"

"Tendou Soun, meet my sister, Saotome Reiko."

Reiko bowed, "It's a pleasure, Tendou-san."

Soun laughed heartilly, "Now, dear, there's no need to be formal. You're a Saotome! Please, call me Uncle Soun."

Ranma turned to his sister, "Are you planning on staying here with Pop? I don't know how many more people we can fit in this place."

"Maybe. I don't know if we're staying, though."

Ranma and Hikaru both knew what that meant.

---

Later on that night, Genma, back in human form, faced his son in the dojo. He frowned, angry at the mere sight of his worthless son, "Ranma, you had no right to come here and take advantage of my promise to Tendou-kun."

Ranma took a stance, "How about you come over here and tell me I had no right? The Saotome style I practice gives me the right!"

Genma practically growled, "Saotome style?! You mock the Saotome family by saying you have studied our style?!!! Prepare yourself, boy!!! I'll show you the true strength of the Saotome style!!!"

Ranma grinned. He had been waiting for this his entire life, "Bring it on, Pop!"

---

In the kitchen, Kasumi was making dinner. Reiko stepped in, "Hello? Kasumi?"

Kasumi frowned. She recognized this girl. Suddenly, she smiled, "Reiko? Is that you?"

Reiko smiled back, "Yeah, it's me. How long has it been?"

"Oh, my... at least eleven years."

"Mind if I help you in here? I've got some special cooking secrets that Mother taught me." She winked, "You know how skilled Mother is in the kitchen."

"Yes, of course you can help." Kasumi was glad that Reiko was willing to help with the cooking, but was more content with the fact that they would get a chance to catch up on things.

Reiko tied on an apron, and examined the current state of the dish that was being prepared.

---

Back in the dojo, Akane, Nabiki, Soun, and Otoko-Hikaru watched as Genma hit the floor, hard. Ranma stood over him, "You never gave me a chance, old man! If I had gone on that training journey with you I'd probably change into a frog or somethin'!!! Of course, you couldn't have just trained me at home, like a normal sensei!!! I had to watch you and examine each and every move you made to learn the Saotome style, no thanks to you!!!" He grabbed his father by the gi and held him up, a red aura blazing around him, "I should kill you right now, old man."

The spectators' eyes all widened, seeing the pure murderous intent in Ranma's eyes. However, the aura slowly subsided and he dropped Genma, "Feh. It's not worth it." He turned and began to walk away.

Genma slowly stood up, "Ran...ma..."

Ranma turned around. His father had no anger left in his voice... it sounded more like... desperation. Genma continued, "... I am... honored... that you undertook the trials you did to learn our style."

He bowed, deeply, "You are truly a man among men, Ranma, and my son. I approve of your engagement to Tendou Nabiki."

Ranma looked for the usual signs of his father's trickery, but found none. Genma was sincere. Ranma returned the bow, "Thank you... Father."

Genma straightened up and nodded, "I apologize for the troubles I have caused you, Ranma. I am glad that you used them to your advantage." He smirked slightly, a glint of light flashing in his glasses, "A true man, indeed."

Off to the side, Soun was once again weeping uncontrollably, "They are united at last... oh, what a happy occassion for the Tendou and Saotome families!"

Hikaru nodded, "It is indeed a happy occassion."

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	5. RH Part 5: Misguided Love

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**PART 5: Misguided Love**

At Furinkan High School, in classroom 2-E, Kunou handed a piece of paper to Nabiki. Nabiki glanced at it, "A letter of challenge addressed to the 'goddess of the lavender hair'?"

Kunou replied, "You did mention that she resides in the same house as you, Nabiki."

"Yeah, so?"

"So you will deliver it to her for me."

Nabiki held out her hand, "That'll be five thousand."

As Kunou handed her the money, he commented, "You are evil, Tendou Nabiki."

Nabiki smiled, the five thousand yen held safely in her palm, "Thank you, Kunou-chan."

---

Later that day, at the Tendou dojo, Hikaru came back from his wanderings around town. Nabiki handed him the challenge, "Here you go, Hikaru. An official challenge from Kunou Tatewaki."

Hikaru frowned, "Kunou? Isn't that the guy with the wooden sword and an ego the size of Okinawa?" He looked at the letter, "Hm... 'To the goddess of the lavender hair -- meet me in the second field of Furinkan on Sunday, in the tenth hour.'"

Nabiki replied, "I guess he doesn't know."

Reiko peeked in, "Know what?"

Ranma pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. Reiko's eyes widened and she gasped, "Really?!"

Ranma nodded, "Come on, I'll tell you the whole story."

---

Later on, Onna-Hikaru, wearing ordinary girls' blue jeans, a sky blue sweater, and white sneakers was about to walk out the door. Ranma caught up, "Hey, Hikaru. Whatcha up to?"

"I'm going to try to get a job."

"As a girl?"

Hikaru shrugged, "It might increase my chances and I'd rather not run the risk of transforming in public. I don't know if you've noticed, but cold water is much easier to find."

Ranma had to admit, it made sense. "Okay. Well, good luck."

---

Hikaru walked along the main restaurant strip for a while. Aside from martial arts, she didn't have much for job skills. So her highest chances of employment in her female form was probably as a waitress. Of course, she had been turned down a couple of times, but only at places that already had more than enough employees. She saw a "Now Hiring" sign in the window of a restaurant she had never seen before, "Hm... Mishima's Italian?" She shrugged and decided to go inside.

---

Hikaru walked up to the front counter of Mishima's, "Hello. I hear you're hiring waitresses?"

The woman pointed to a door, "Mishima-san's office is in the back."

"Thank you, Miss."

As Hikaru walked to the back, the woman looked her over, "Hm... she's polite and pretty. Looks like we've got a new waitress."

Hikaru stepped into the office to see a friendly-looking middle-aged man at the desk. He asked, "Are you here for an interview?" Hikaru nodded. The man smiled and stood up, "Welcome. I am Mishima-san, owner of this restaurant." He bowed.

Hikaru returned the bow, "Zugaikotsu... Hikari." She had decided to use her sister's name while Hikari was still in China. After all, they were essentially identical when Hikaru was in female form, and it took care of any problems with birth records and identification.

Mishima-san nodded and sat back down. He motioned to a seat in front of the desk, "Take a seat." Hikaru did so. Mishima-san continued, "Let's begin the interview. Do you feel comfortable and confident in your abilities as a waitress?"

Hikaru nodded, "Of course. I've never actually done it before, but I exercise regularly, and my balance is almost always perfect. My only problem is a slight skin condition. I can't handle hot water... I'd rather not risk allowing it to touch me." She had prepared that story, and was even ready to get a note from Dr. Tofu, if needed. While hot water could be easily avoided, cold water seemed to persist in finding her.

"Oh, that's no problem. The waitresses here work in pairs, so we'll just have your partner handle the heated water. Now... is that your natural hair color?"

Hikaru wondered what kind of question that was, but she answered anyway, "Yes." As long as he didn't ask her to prove it, she was fine with him asking any questions about her hair color he wanted.

"I see. Do you agree to come into work on time, in full uniform, every day you work here?" He handed her a picture of the uniform -- a white button-up stretch-fabric shirt with a rounded collar, and a black skirt that was just a bit too short for Hikaru's taste. The notes also mentioned that pantyhose and makeup was required at all times.

All in all, it wasn't anything Hikaru couldn't handle, or was unprepared for, "No problem."

"When can you start?"

"Immediately."

Mishima-san nodded, "Okay. Come in tomorrow and we'll get all the paperwork taken care of. You'll start work Monday." He held out his hand. Hikaru shook it, then got up to leave. Mishima-san handed her a small booklet, "These are the rules and regulations. Read them over before you come to work."

"I will. Thank you." She turned around and walked out.

---

Sunday, Onna-Hikaru stood, waiting, in the second field of Furinkan High, wearing her favorite blue Chinese-style women's outfit.

Kunou stood across from her, "So, you have come."

"Let's get on with it, Kunou. Where's your sword?"

Kunou chuckled, "Heh... I have no need of a sword."

"Then why did you call me here?"

A glint of light flashed off of Kunou's eye, "To give you..." He hurled something towards her, "...this!!!"

Hikaru reflexively caught the object. When she looked up, she saw it was a bouquet of red roses.

Kunou began to turn, "I love you." He turned completely and walked away.

Hikaru just stood there, frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A wind blew through, blowing away the petals of the roses, as she fell to her knees.

---

When Hikaru finally got home, she dropped the ruined bouquet on the floor, just realizing that she had carried it the whole way. She was still in shock from Kunou's declaration. Kasumi walked out of the kitchen, "Hikaru?" When she saw her friend, she gasped, "Oh, my... Hikaru-chan, what's wrong?" Hikaru muttered something unintelligible. Kasumi took her hand, "Come on, we'll talk in private."

In Kasumi's room, Hikaru sat down on the bed. She finally spoke, "Ku... Kunou said..."

Kasumi was surprised. Her friend was in shock because of something somebody said? She had thought Hikaru was more resilient than that. She asked, "What did he say?"

"He said... he loves me..."

Kasumi understood. The curse probably made Hikaru a little sensitive to certain things. "Does he know you're a boy?"

"I guess not. It still shook me up a bit..." She laughed, a bit nervously, "I feel like such a weak, stupid... girl."

Kasumi sat down and put her arm around Hikaru, "Don't talk like that. Kunou-sama just expects you to act like a normal girl. So if you don't love him back, why don't you just tell him?"

Hikaru's eyes narrowed inquisitively, "Just... tell him?"

"Right." Kasumi smiled, "He doesn't even have to know you're really a man. Just tell him you don't feel the same way, and that'll be it."

"Just tell him how I feel, huh? Sounds easy." She stood up, "Thanks, Kasumi. I feel a lot better now."

Kasumi was happy that she was able to help her new friend. "Thank you for trusting me, Hikaru-chan."

---

Monday morning, Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, and Onna-Hikaru, wearing her waitress uniform, walked along the sidewalk -- or the fence, as was the case with Ranma. Hikaru paused on the way, slipping off her shoes. "Damned high heels. These are gonna kill me." If she couldn't handle the walk to the restaurant in them, she wondered how she was going to work all day in them.

Nabiki turned, smiling almost deviously, "You'll get used to them, Hikaru-chan."

"Doesn't feel like it." Hikaru took a turn and waved to the other three, "See you all after work!"

Ranma waved, "Later, Hikaru!"

---

At the entrance of Furinkan High, a horde of boys came charging out, "Akane's coming!" Another one added, "... with Ranma!"

Ranma and Akane rushed through, knocking the novice martial artists away with ease. Nabiki stood back, watching the action. Akane screamed, "You don't need to help me, you know!!!"

Kunou came charging out at them. Both fighters jumped and kicked Kunou in the head, knocking him out. As they entered the school, Ranma said, "I figured that's what friends do."

"Ha! You just want to eliminate the competition!"

"Competition?! With a fiancée like Nabiki, why would I be after a tomboy like you?" He didn't like the answer. Akane's punch sent him straight to the ground.

---

Later, in Nabiki's class, Kunou dropped a stuffed panda on the Tendou girl's desk. Nabiki looked at it while sipping a juice box, "A panda? What's this for?"

Kunou answered, "A present."

Nabiki scoffed and handed it back to him, "Sorry. Not my style."

"Did I say it was for you, Nabiki? I was merely going to request that you give it to the lavender-haired goddess of..."

Kunou was interrupted by Nabiki's drink hitting him in the face. Nabiki frowned, wiping her mouth off, "Now look what you made me do." After she regained her composure, she slapped down five candid photos of Onna-Hikaru, "Three thousand yen. You want?"

Kunou stared at the pictures, "She is so... mere words cannot describe my goddess' exotic beauty!!!"

Nabiki shook her head. This really was pitiful, but the Tendou dojo needed money, and so did she. She pulled out five more pictures -- these ones of Akane exercising, "You still want these? Same price."

Kunou looked over the pictures, nodded, and handed her the money, "Sold."

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	6. RH Part 6: Zugaikotsusensei's Rival

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame  
**(Not to be confused with my original character, Ayane. This isn't a self-insert!)

**PART 6: Zugaikotsu-sensei's Rival**

At Mishima's restaurant, Onna-Hikaru called into the kitchen, "Hey, Ayane!"

Her partner, a girl the same age, but just a bit smaller than her, with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes answered, "What's up, Hikari?"

"Can you cover for me while I take a break?"

"Sure, no problem."

Hikaru smiled, "Thanks."

---

When Hikaru actually exited the restaurant, he was back in male form, wearing his gi. He figured he'd drop by Furinkan, see how Ranma was doing, then go back to work. Ayane should be able to hold out that long.

---

Ranma was leaning against the wall of Furinkan. He saw Hikaru coming, "Hey, what's up, Hikaru? How's the job?"

"It's like attending an all-girls' school. There's not a single guy working there. And, of course, they expect me to act... well, like a girl."

"I guess that's part of the curse, huh?"

Hikaru sighed and leaned against the wall next to Ranma, "Tell me about it."

The two heard Kunou's voice, "Zugaikotsu Hikaru, I presume?"

Hikaru opened his eyes to see Kunou standing in front of him, "That's me."

Kunou dropped the stuffed panda into his hands, then glared at him, "Tell me why I must give it to you."

Hikaru was completely confused, "Excuse me?"

"'If you want to give her your panda, give it to Ranma-chan's friend, Zugaikotsu Hikaru,' quoth the mercenary Nabiki. Why?! How do you know the goddess of the lavender hair?!!!"

Hikaru tossed the panda back to Kunou, "Sorry. She's not interested." Kunou just stood there, confused, while Hikaru walked away.

Ranma, who was looking up at the windows, whispered, "Hikaru, not that way!"

He was too late. Hikaru was hit by a splash of water from above. Kunou rounded the corner, "Hikaru?" He froze. Somehow, Hikaru had disappeared. The girl that now stood there... was her, "You're..." He grabbed her in a tight embrace, "How I've pined for you!" Hikaru was too stunned to react. Kunou began to weep, "I shall never let you go, my goddess!!!"

Ranma caught a kettle of hot water Nabiki had tossed to him, "Here ya go, Hikaru!" He threw the hot water at Hikaru.

Kunou paused, confused, "Hikaru...?"

Hikaru grabbed him by the head and flipped him to the ground. He scoffed at the pitiful kendoist lying on the ground, "Get it yet, Kunou?! I've had enough of this." He turned to leave, "I've gotta get back to work."

Kunou stood up, "Zugaikotsu! What devilish trickery have you used to steal away my goddess?!"

Ranma shook his head, "Kunou, you really are dense."

Nabiki nodded, "Looks like we'll just have to spell it out for him."

Nabiki went over to Kunou, "Listen, Kunou-chan, that girl..." She paused, wondering how to put it, "Her body. Her soul. All belong to him. You get it yet?"

Kunou was fuming, majorly, "Her soul... and her body?!" He slashed at Hikaru, "Tyrant!!!"

Ranma sighed, "Great... just what we needed..."

Nabiki shrugged, "Kunou-chan isn't very bright."

Hikaru dodged Kunou's attacks, "I guess you don't understand."

"Silence!!! I can see it, you monster!" Kunou finally understood. Hikaru had somehow enslaved the girl and was using her for his own evil pleasures. He sobbed at the thought, "How terrible..."

Akane walked over -- she had heard Kunou and Hikaru, "What's going on?" She saw Kunou attacking Hikaru, saying something about enslaving women.

Hikaru replied, "So what if you lose? Will you give up?" He knocked Kunou down, sending pictures flying everywhere. He snagged one and looked at it -- a picture of him, in female form, trying on the Mishima's waitress uniform. He tossed it to Ranma, "Here, take care of these!" He grabbed and passed all ten of the photos.

Ranma turned and saw Akane coming, "Hey, you may want to see this." He handed her five of the pictures.

Akane stared at them, livid, "Why do you have pictures of me?!"

"Kunou dropped them."

"What?!" She turned to her sister.

Nabiki was smiling innocently, "Just making a little extra money..."

Meanwhile, Kunou had demolished half of the objects in the area with just the air pressure from his attacks. Hikaru frowned... he was getting pissed. His entire body became black and, two seconds later, Kunou fell. Ranma stared -- Hikaru had used much more speed than he really needed. He had also beaten Kunou senseless. Hikaru fell to his knees, "Damn... too much energy..." He stood up and brushed himself off, "I gotta get back to work. Ayane's probably getting tired." He walked away.

Ranma turned to Nabiki, "You know, you could have just said she was Hikaru. No need to get all poetic about it."

Nabiki calmly replied, "He saw Hikaru change. Do you really think that would have worked?"

"Guess not. But you didn't have to make things worse."

Nabiki supposed that was true. But... if Kunou knew Onna-Hikaru's true identity, she might lose a reliable source of income. "Let's just say the dojo's financial situation is still secure, Ranma-chan."

Ranma, of course, had no idea what she meant by that.

---

Later that night, Onna-Hikaru was getting ready to leave Mishima's restaurant. Ayane met her at the door, "You owe me, Hikari."

"I know. I'm sorry, Ayane. I didn't mean to leave you alone that long."

"It's alright. Just don't do it again."

Hikaru nodded and started to walk away, "Got it. See you tomorrow!" She ran into something and fell down, "Ow! What the..." She looked up and saw what she had walked into. It was a young man, about Ranma's height and build, with short, dark hair, and wearing mostly yellow and black.

The man reached down to help her up, "I am sorry, Miss. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Despite the fact that she was perfectly capable of getting up herself, she accepted his help. After all, he was only trying to be polite, and that was probably part of getting used to being treated like a girl. She replied, "I wasn't really paying attention either."

The man frowned as he looked her over, "You seem familiar. Have I seen you around before?"

Hikaru wasn't sure what to say. She had never seen him in Nerima before, "Um... maybe in China?"

The man nodded and snapped his fingers, "That's it! Zugaikotsu Hikari!"

So this person knew Hikaru's sister? "Uh... yes. And you are...?"

He didn't seem surprised that "Hikari" didn't remember him, so obviously he didn't know her very well. "Hibiki Ryouga. I have recently returned from China... in my quest for revenge against my rival, Saotome Ranma, I got into a fight with an experienced martial artist... your father's rival, Lee. He... defeated me soundly." He scoffed, "I should have known. Even your father didn't stand a chance." He shrugged and walked away, "Anyway, it was good to see you again, Hikari!"

Hikaru was still parsing through what Ryouga had said. Apparently, her father had a rival, named Lee, who defeated not only Ryouga, but Zugaikotsu-sensei as well. She continued to walk home -- she didn't have a good feeling about this.

---

When she got back to the Tendou dojo, Hikaru was about to go upstairs and change -- in more ways than one -- when Ranma stopped her, "Hey, look at this."

He had handed her a postcard -- "Zugaikotsu-sensei injured. Come to China immediately." It was signed, "Hikari."

Hikaru stared at the postcard, "Injured? How?" She remembered what that boy had said -- about Zugaikotsu-sensei's rival, Lee.

Ranma said, "We should go to the village."

Hikaru nodded, "Just let me change and pack a few things. We're leaving tonight."

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	7. RH Part 7: Family Reunion

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**PART 7: Family Reunion**

Ranma and Onna-Hikaru arrived at Joketsuzoku. Both were carrying rather large packs, and both were still a bit drenched from the swim. Hikaru looked extremely irritated, "We have to find a better way of travelling between Japan and China..."

A woman with short, violet hair and dark brown eyes wearing a blue Chinese-style dress -- Hikaru's mother, Mei-Lin -- had been waiting for them. She rushed to greet them as they approached, "Ranma, Hikaru... thank you for coming so quickly."

Ranma asked, "How is he?"

"Not well, I'm afraid."

Hikaru stepped forward, "May I see him?"

Mei-Lin nodded, "Of course. But... you may want to change first."

Hikari, who was only set apart from Onna-Hikaru by the ponytail she wore, approached the group. She stared at her brother -- or sister, as it seemed to be at the moment -- and gasped, "Hi... Hikaru?!"

It took a moment for Hikaru to realize why Hikari was so surprised. She was wearing her blue Chinese outfit, not any of her usual male clothes. She grinned, "Like it, _futago-chan_? Thanks to you, I already know what looks good on me in this form!" After a moment, she dropped the grin, slowly, "I... better go change. I want to see Zugaikotsu-sensei."

---

Inside a tent, Zugaikotsu-sensei, covered with various bandages visible through the even more numerous tears and rips in his sleeveless gi, was lying on his back on a small futon. Otoko-Hikaru, now wearing his own gi, walked in and knelt down near his father.

Zugaikotsu-sensei opened his eyes and looked up at his son, "Hikaru... did you bring Ranma?"

Ranma, who had been waiting outside, entered and knelt next to Hikaru, "I'm here, sensei."

Zugaikotsu-sensei sat up, took something from beside him and handed it to Ranma, "Take this. Put it on."

Ranma looked at what he had been given -- it was a Zugaikotsu family gi, identical to Hikaru's. He hesitated, "I... can't. I'm not a Zugaikotsu. I cannot accept this, sensei."

"You are as much a Zugaikotsu as I am. I don't ask you to renounce the name of Saotome. I realize you feel a great connection to your family heritage. Instead, I ask you to accept this as representation that you are also my student, and a rightful heir to the Zugaikotsu family."

Ranma nodded, understanding. Out of respect for the injured man in front of him, he immediately changed into the gi. Both he and Hikaru remained standing.

Zugaikotsu-sensei looked toward the entrance, "Mei-Lin... Hikari... come in."

Mei-Lin entered and stood at Hikaru's right. Hikari stood on Ranma's left. Zugaikotsu-sensei nodded to them. The two women proceeded to tear the sleeves off of each man's gi. Both Ranma and Hikaru were stunned, knowing the symbolism of the ritual.

Zugaikotsu-sensei laid back down, "I may never walk again. You two must take care of Mei-Lin and Hikari. Also, you must carry out my revenge against Lee."

Both men nodded. Hikaru said, "I will... Father."

Zugaikotsu-sensei smiled. Ranma was almost sure he saw a tear fall, but he figured it must have been his imagination. Zugaikotsu-sensei would never cry. He added, "We promise to avenge you."

Zugaikotsu-sensei nodded, "Lee is a terrible fighter, who knows nothing of honor. You must defeat him. Together, you can do it."

---

All four Zugaikotsu family members, including Ranma, exited the tent that Zugaikotsu-sensei was in. Hikaru turned to Mei-Lin and Hikari, "You two stay here. Ranma and I must go search for Lee. We will not return home until he is defeated."

Hikari stepped forward, "Why don't we help? Mother and I are Amazons, after all."

Mei-Lin shook her head, "No, Hikari. This is a Zugaikotsu family matter. We do not interfere in this, as they do not interfere in Amazon affairs. Ranma and Hikaru are entrusted to this, alone."

---

Not too much later, Hikaru and Ranma, each still wearing his now-sleeveless Zugaikotsu family gi, left the village. Hikaru looked at Ranma, "Think we can defeat him?"

Ranma nodded, "We've never lost before. Especially fighting together. Zugaikotsu-sensei believes in us."

"You're right." He looked around the area, "Zugaikotsu-sensei said he lives somewhere near Jusenkyou..."

---

At night, the two were travelling the borders of Jusenkyou. Hikaru glanced toward the cursed springs more than once. Ranma frowned, "You okay?"

"We're just too close, that's all. If Lee were to catch us off-guard..."

"Don't think about that. See any huts or tents around?"

Hikaru shook his head, "Nope. No place where a martial artist could live." He glanced upwards, "It's getting dark. We should set up camp."

---

Hikaru and Ranma both sat near their campfire, in front of their tent. Ranma asked, "Why don't you get some rest, Hikaru?"

"What about you?"

"You need it more. If you don't quit overusing your shadow speed technique, you'll never be able to win a fight again."

"Fine. You get first watch, but I'll take over in an hour."

Hikaru went into the tent. Ranma looked around purposefully -- he had a feeling that Lee was nearby. There were sounds in Jusenkyou that Ranma concentrated on for a while. They eventually ended with a splash. A few minutes later, Ranma was sure he saw a duck fly away. He ignored it, and continued listening. He closed his eyes, concentrating on everything around him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, "Hikaru!!!" He jumped aside as something came from above, striking at where he had been.

Hikaru poked his head out of the tent, "What is it?" He saw Ranma and an unidentified martial artist facing off and decided to just go join in. When he got there, he saw that Ranma's opponent was a man with dark violet hair, wearing an ordinary white gi.

Lee grinned, "The Zugaikotsu brats. Hikaru and Ranma, right? Come to avenge dear old Dad?" He laughed a laugh that would have almost made Kodachi or Sotatsu seem normal, then took a stance, "Let's do it."

---

Hikaru and Ranma found themselves in the toughest battle they had ever been in. Lee could move fast enough to dodge and block most of their attacks, while getting in a few of his own. He eventually knocked Ranma away.

Ranma groaned at the impact into the ground, then realized he was only inches away from one of the cursed springs. The impact seemed the least of his worries, until he coughed up a spatter of blood. He stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth, "Hikaru! Give me a tornado!"

Hikaru winced. He hadn't used his shadow speed yet, conserving his energy, and this would be their only chance. He had to concentrate all of his energy into this one, "Alright, Ranma! Final attack!" His entire body became pure black and he ran around Lee in a circle, creating a strong whirlwind that lifted and held Lee in midair. Ranma sprinted toward Lee.

When he got close enough, Ranma yelled, "Now!" He clenched his fist as he launched his attack, able to use it because of the spiral motion Hikaru forced Lee into, "Hi Ryu Shouten Ha!!!"

At the same time, Hikaru released his attack, "Kage Shuugeki!!!" He stopped abrubtly as his shadow speed dash ended, all of the energy focused into his violet energy column. It met with Ranma's blue energy on the same point -- Lee.

Lee fell to the ground, and started to chuckle, "You... are... strong." He stood up, a little shaky, and clenched his fist. Energy began to flow from every living thing less than three feet away from him. Ranma and Hikaru stood out of range, ready to defend or dodge as needed.

The grass and plants around Lee withered in the blink of an eye. He began to strain with obvious ki overflow, "Face the ultimate attack! Kami... ka... ZE!!!" A ki shockwave with the multiplied force of ten major hurricanes burst out from Lee, knocking both Ranma and Hikaru away.

---

A few minutes later, it began to rain. Hikaru, who was lying on the ground, opened her eyes. She groaned as she got up, "Ranma... did we do it?" She glanced around... Ranma was nowhere nearby. She yelled, "Ranma!!!"

---

Not too far away from where Hikaru had landed, a girl with red hair tied in a pigtail braid, wearing an oversized black gi with no sleeves was lying face-down in one of the springs of Jusenkyou.

Hikaru limped into Jusenkyou, majorly wounded from Lee's final attack. She hadn't found any trace of Lee, so she assumed that his final attack was a suicide tactic. Nobody could have survived at the center of a shockwave like he had produced. A few moments later, she noticed the red-haired girl and ran, as well as she could with an injured leg. When she reached the girl, she noticed the signature pigtail and the black gi, "No... Ranma... not you, too..." She lifted the girl out of the spring with her good arm -- a considerable effort since her female body was much weaker than her male form in the area of upper body strength. She managed to at least get Ranma on a patch of land, face-up. She knelt down next to Ranma -- she now had no doubt that this person was indeed her friend in a cursed body. She then sighed, "Ranma... I couldn't help you. Despite my sacrifice, you still ended up... like this." She glanced at her reflection in the Nyanniichuan, the face of the girl body she had taken on to keep Ranma from being cursed with the same fate. She chuckled darkly, "It seems... Fate will always have its way." Fatigue finally set in as she fell asleep next to Ranma.

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Well, all good things must come to an end. Even if the end only lasts until the next story. However, your correspondence cannot end unless it begins! Now would be a great time to share your thoughts on the Ranma and Hikaru series. Review the story, or send me an email. I don't bite... honest!

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**Notes on Japanese terms in this chapter:**

1. 'Futago-chan': 'Futago' means 'twin' and we should already know what '-chan' means. Draw your own conclusions here... it's not that hard!


	8. RHN Part 8: Two Women and a Child

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru 1/2  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**Disclaimer/Legal Crap:**

I make no claim to own Ranma 1/2, nor any characters contained herein which appear in Takahashi's official Ranma manga and/or anime. I merely claim ownership over the characters, situations, and places herein which have come forth from my own creativity. If any attempt is going to be made to steal my ideas, I should point out that some of these characters are adapted from my own original stories, making this attempt a copyright infringement. You've been warned.

**Introduction:**

For any returning readers... it's been a long time, hasn't it? Now that I've had a renewed interest in this fanfiction, I've gone back to the beginning and started editing/rewriting, in the hopes of actually continuing work on it. So I hope anyone who read this before will go back to the beginning and enjoy the new and improved version!

With Part 8, now we get to the real series! Ranma and Hikaru 1/2 has all the martial-arts, gender-bending mayhem of the Takahashi classic, times two! Meaning two main characters... not that my series is better than Takahashi-san's original. Still, I hope you all enjoy the continuation of the Ranma and Hikaru saga, on this site for the first time ever!

**PART 8: Two Women and a Child**

A young man, similar in build to Ranma, and a few centimeters taller, with ear-length blond hair and striking green eyes, barged into Dr. Tofu's carrying two girls -- the smaller one with red hair, and the older one with lavender hair, both wearing extremely oversized black martial arts gi that threatened to fall off at any second. Dr. Tofu noticed the man enter the clinic, "Koji..."

Koji indicated the women he was carrying, "I found them unconscious in China."

Tofu looked over the unconscious pair, "Were they injured in any other way?"

Koji placed the two girls gently down, revealing that he himself was wearing what seemed to be a Chinese robe, with patterns of various shades of blue on the torso and sleeves, and dark blue from the waist down. "They were obviously overpowered in a fight. I think they'll be fine, with some rest."

Tofu nodded, "Thank you, Koji. You may have saved their lives."

As Koji turned around, Tofu noticed two _bokken_ sheathed on his back in a cross fashion. He had taught Koji some basic chiropractic skills, medicinal herbs, and martial arts. Apparently, he had been studying a rare form of the samurai skills known to be practiced by Kunou Tatewaki, utilizing two bokken instead of just one. As soon as Koji left, Tofu turned his complete attention on his new patients.

---

A few hours later, Hikaru opened her eyes and looked around, "Where...?"

Tofu interrupted, "A student of mine, Tsunami Koji, brought you two in here."

Hikaru turned her head and noticed Ranma, still female. She sighed, "It wasn't a dream..."

"Who did this to you? I realize you're martial artists, but what kind of opponent would beat two women senseless?"

Hikaru chuckled, "Right. I forgot you didn't know." She glanced over at the unconscious Onna-Ranma, "Tofu, have you ever heard of Jusenkyou?"

---

At the Tendou home, Nabiki was starting to leave. Reiko, being a naturally curious type, immediately glanced up, "Nabiki? Where are you going?"

Nabiki froze, "Um... I've got a job."

Reiko smiled. She liked the idea of Nabiki finding legitimate ways of making money, "Oh, really?! What job?"

Nabiki muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

'_Or maybe not legitimate..._' Reiko frowned, "What was that?"

Nabiki sighed, "Never mind. It's not important." She hurriedly rushed out of the house.

Reiko went back to the book she was reading, but made a mental note to find out what exactly Nabiki was up to.

---

Tofu thought over this new information he had just received, "Hm... and you say your family has studied this... Jusenkyou?"

Hikaru replied, "We've mapped every known spring, and we have a bit of the history on it. Nothing else."

"Have you ever studied the effects of these curses before?"

"No. Well... Mother might have some information."

Tofu stood up, "Well, never mind that. As far as I've been able to see, you two just need a lot of rest. Don't try to move too much yet... I'll let Tendou-san know where you are." He walked away, towards the nearest available phone.

---

Nabiki walked along the streets of Nerima. She had been to Tsunami Koji's house some time ago, and was offered a job as a babysitter. The strange thing was, the offer was given to her by the young couple living next door. They had claimed that Koji's parents were not around, though there was a strange young man in a blue robe that might appear from time to time. Nabiki knew the couple was telling her all they knew, but her senses also told her that she was not getting the whole story. And wherever there was a mystery to solve in Nerima, Tendou Nabiki was usually there to figure it out. Profit, in this case, was simply a bonus.

---

Ranma woke up, still a bit groggy, "Hikaru? Where are we?"

Hikaru replied, "We're in Tofu's clinic. Do you remember what happened?"

"No."

Hikaru sighed, "Lee used the strongest ki blast I've ever seen. I can only guess that he was trying to kill us. The only thing he succeeded in doing was sending you straight into Nyanniichuan."

Ranma would have jumped in surprise, had she been physically well and energetic enough to do so. As she was, she just groaned upon noticing her current gender, "Great... just what I needed."

Just then, Tofu walked in, "Can you two walk?"

Both girls, slowly and with considerable effort, were able to stand up. Tofu continued, "Be careful. I told Tendou Soun-san that you still need rest. Don't try to be too active until at least tomorrow."

Both Ranma and Hikaru replied, "Thank you, Tofu-sensei."

---

Koji, far from the young approximately nine-year-old child that was supposed to be watched after by a certain Tendou Nabiki, was taking a hot bath. He thought back to the two girls he had found in Jusenkyou. He wasn't quite sure which spring they were next to, but it was possible that at least one of them was not really a girl. After all, he was not really a nine-year-old boy, either.

He had made the mistake of introducing himself to the next door neighbors while still in child form, and had realized too late that they would be concerned for his lack of family. Therefore, he hadn't protested when they wanted to hire a babysitter. In his natural adult form, he had even offered them some of his nearly unlimited finances, inherited from his parents years ago, in order to pay the person they hired.

He glanced at the clock, and realized the babysitter would be there any minute. He quickly jumped out of the bath, grabbed a bucket of cold water, poured it over himself, and shrank to the size of the child body he had been cursed with. He then got dressed, in a smaller version of his robelike garment, in greens instead of blues, and exited the bath to go in his room and read some manga. The less he interacted with Nabiki, the less he'd have to try to act like he really was nine years old.

---

When Hikaru walked into the Tendou dojo, the first person he saw was Reiko, who smiled, "Welcome back, Hikaru. Did you visit your family?"

Hikaru replied, "Yeah. Zugaikotsu-sensei... Father... was really injured. Mother and Hikari said they'll be going back home, but I'd like to stick around here and keep an eye on Ranma."

Reiko frowned and glanced around, "Where is Ranma?"

Ranma sighed... she had wanted to avoid this, but her decision was to let everybody see her in her cursed form, especially her own sister. It would spare her the explanation later. She spoke up, "Right here, Reiko." The petite redhead stepped forward. Reiko froze, eyes wide, and dropped the book she had been reading, "Ra... Ra..."

"Yeah. I'm a girl. Same as Hikaru."

Reiko, having had time to parse through her thoughts, exclaimed, "You look..."

"Just like you?"

Reiko nodded, "Th... three years ago. Except for the pigtail... and the boys' clothes..."

The resemblance had come as a surprise to Ranma, too. Hikaru and Hikari were at least twins, but Ranma and Reiko were years apart. It was quite a coincidence.

Hikaru interrupted, "We're going to go take a bath and rest... we've had a very long journey."

Reiko nodded again, still dumbfounded. Kasumi, who had overheard some things, came out of the kitchen to see, "Oh, my... I suppose we should change the sleeping arrangements a bit from now on."

---

After their bath, Ranma and Hikaru, both now male, passed Kasumi in the hall. Kasumi paused, "Ranma, we've moved your belongings to Hikaru's room. We decided that you may not want to share a room with your father anymore."

Ranma nodded, unsure of why sharing a room with his own father would be an issue. Still, Hikaru would be a better choice of a roommate, curse or no curse. "Thanks, Kasumi... where is Pop anyway?"

"Um... he left this morning. He seemed to be in quite a hurry."

Ranma frowned, "Exactly why did he leave?"

"I believe it was after he read this." Kasumi handed Ranma a letter.

Ranma and Hikaru both looked at it. It read:

"Tendou-san, have you heard from my husband? He went off to search for Ranma some time ago, and I'm beginning to worry. Ranma has not studied in the martial arts, and I fear that my irrational husband will go too far when he finds him. I will be coming by soon to visit."

The letter was signed "Saotome Nodoka". Ranma's eyes widened in fear, "Mother's coming here?!" He could deal with the Tendou family knowing about the curse, and even Reiko, but that was only because they had already seen Hikaru. He had no clue how his own mother would react.

Hikaru looked at his best friend strangely, "Why are you so concerned about your mother?" Before Ranma could even answer, Hikaru realized what was wrong, "Oh... the curse..."

Ranma sighed, "It took all of my strength to let Reiko see... I don't know if I can face Mother..."

Hikaru shrugged, "How bad could her reaction be?"

Ranma decided to educate his friend, "Listen, my mother's not exactly what you would call 'normal', or have you forgotten? You think she'll be happy about me changin' into a girl? I certainly don't consider that very manly..."

"You know, Ranma, she could be fine with it..."

Ranma groaned, "I'm even more afraid of that! Then I'd become just another daughter when I'm in cursed form, and she'd go on about speakin' properly, and etiquette, and feminine modesty, and being ladylike..."

Hikaru held up his hands, "Okay, okay, I get it, Ranma. So we try to hide it from her or tell her?"

Ranma paused to think, "I don't s'pose we'll be able to hide it very long?"

Hikaru shook his head.

Ranma sighed dejectedly, "... Then we tell her."

---

In the market area of Nerima, Saotome Nodoka examined the groceries she had bought. A cloth bundle was mixed in with the shopping bags, but Nodoka had little intention of using the weapon contained in the bundle any time soon. She paused to smooth a wrinkle in her kimono, and smiled at a memory, '_Kasumi-chan will be so happy to see me..._'

She glanced out of the corner of her eye and swore that she saw a panda holding a sign near one of the shops. She was interrupted from her contemplation of the endangered species by a woman's voice, "Nodoka-san?!"

Nodoka turned and grinned, "Mei-Lin! What are you doing here? I thought you moved back to China."

Mei-Lin shook her head, "No, no, my husband was merely taking Hikaru and Ranma on a training journey. Though we did reside in China for a time."

Nodoka paused, "Ranma? My Ranma?! Why was he on a training journey?"

Mei-Lin frowned, expressing obvious displeasure, "When that fool husband of yours refused to train the boy, he came to us instead, asking that we help him learn his father's style. My husband agreed, and Ranma has trained with Hikaru ever since."

"So he did study martial arts!" Nodoka was visibly relieved at the revelation, "Why didn't you just tell me? Genma could have made a very good teacher, but he couldn't see past that training journey he wanted to take Ranma on. I think he just wanted to get away from me. After all, a mother's influence can be bad on an aspiring martial artist son." Sarcasm practically poured from her last sentence.

"It worked out fine for Ranma and Hikaru. Though I regret taking them to Jusenkyou..."

Nodoka contemplated the name, obviously the name of some training area, "Jusenkyou?"

"An ancient Chinese training ground, filled with cursed springs of all varieties. We... had a little accident... twice, actually..." Her voice trailed off with a hint of regret to it.

Nodoka's eyes flared as she touched the hilt of her well-wrapped katana. She might be using it after all. "What have you done to my son?! Is he hurt?!"

Mei-Lin, being a proud Amazon warrior, remained calm, even with the knowledge of what was inside the cloth bundle Nodoka carried, "Easy, Nodoka, he's perfectly fine. I'll walk with you, and tell you the whole story."

Nodoka's grip on the handle of her katana eased, and she continued to walk, accompanied by Mei-Lin and Hikari. Mei-Lin, visibly uneasy, began, "My husband was training the boys in the middle of the springs... the idea was that from what he had observed, they would be able to avoid any cursed spring with no problems..."

---

Nabiki opened the door to Koji's room. The nine-year-old boy was absorbed in one of his manga series... something called InuYasha. He looked up, "Nabiki-san? What are you doing?"

Nabiki shrugged, "Checking on you, I guess. Is that all you ever do? Read manga?"

"Pretty much. Why?"

Nabiki caught the lie easily. This boy was hiding something, "Well, you live here all alone, right? Who's paying the bills?"

"I am."

"But you don't have a job, you don't steal..." She paused in contemplation, "Do you?"

Koji put his book down, "No, I don't steal. My parents were rich, and I was the only one to inherit the money."

"Still, money doesn't last forever. You need to pay for some basic expenses." She walked in and sat down on the futon next to the boy, "I could teach you some tricks you could use to make more money off of people here. Not more than they can afford to pay, of course." There was a slight tinge of a half-truth about her last sentence.

"Do I hafta lie?"

Nabiki smiled her rare, genuine smile, "No, you don't have to lie. Blackmail, maybe. Extortion is the key to making good money. And if you don't want to tell the truth, you can just keep quiet. That way, it's not a lie."

Koji suddenly brightened, "Then will you teach me?"

Nabiki was trying to be cautious, but couldn't help herself, "Sure, kid." Outwardly, she was smiling. Inwardly, she was praying that nobody with resources half as good as hers was watching. '_If word gets out that Tendou Nabiki has a soft spot for a kid, my life as the feared Ice Queen of Nerima is over..._' She allowed herself to smile and tousle Koji's hair as she stood up, "Go ahead and read some more, I'll go arrange some kind of lesson plan."

Koji opened his book again, "Okay." Obviously, the girl had bought his act.

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**Author's Notes:**

This being the first part of the rest of the series, I've decided to add an "Author's Notes" section. I have absolutely no idea how much longer the series is going to be, so don't even ask. My only clue is that this is still, timeline-wise, the beginning volumes of the manga, and I may go as far as Volume 38, the end of the series. At times I'll follow and revise the manga/anime according to the characters' new backstories. At other times I may ignore the canon storyline and go a completely different route, like I have been for a couple of stories now. As far as the timeline goes, we're coming up on Ryouga's and Kodachi's appearances pretty soon. Although I know a lot about both the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime, I know I'm not perfect. So if anyone out there spots anything that might be an error, feel free to let me know! I am also open to storyline suggestions. As long as it doesn't ruin my ultimate plan, I'll take anything other fans might have to say into account. Like I've said in various ways for the last seven chapters, correspondence is always welcome!

_Kimura Ayame_

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**Notes on Japanese terms in this chapter:**

1. 'bokken': A wooden sword, like the one Kunou Tatewaki uses.

2. 'ki': Japanese and Oriental idea of life force. Used commonly in martial arts anime as energy blasts like the Hadouken from Street Fighter, among hundreds of other types and uses.

3. 'kimono': Anyone who doesn't know what a kimono is deserves to die. So that none of my beloved readers are condemned to death, I will tell you. A kimono is a traditional and usually formal Japanese article of clothing. There are different styles for males and females, but they share many design similarities. If you want to know more, look up the word online. You'll find lots of info and pictures... trust me.

4. 'katana': Another common word that everyone should know. A specific kind of Japanese sword. Not wooden this time.

5. 'manga': Japanese graphic novels. Like the Ranma 1/2 books. Or my shameless InuYasha plug.

6. 'futon': A simple mattress, and the traditional Japanese bedding.


	9. RHN Part 9: A Woman Among Men

**Ranma 1/2  
****Ranma and Hikaru 1/2  
****by: ****Kimura Ayame**

**PART 9: A Woman Among Men**

As Kasumi was about to get in bed, she heard a knock at the door. She paused, wondering who would come to her room this late at night. Maybe Hikaru was having some problems with his female body. After contemplating for a second, she replied, "Come in."

Surely enough, Onna-Hikaru entered, wearing a modest nightgown Kasumi had given her and her hair in a ponytail, tied with a ribbon. Kasumi noted that her motions were slightly different and as soon as she came in, she seemed nervous... an emotion Kasumi had never before observed in her, in either form. "Decided to be a girl tonight, Hikaru-chan?"

"Yeah. I... don't really feel comfortable coming into your room as a guy. Especially late at night."

Kasumi understood. The idea of joining the Tendou family to the family of Saotome Ranma's best friend would probably appeal to her father, and Nabiki was already engaged to Ranma. Somehow, she knew that Akane and herself would not be free of their father's misguided ways anytime soon. She sat down and patted the bed next to where she was sitting, "Sit down. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Hikaru sat down, still obviously nervous, "I... don't know if I'm a guy anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You heard me. I think..." She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, "I think I might be turning into a girl. Completely."

Kasumi inched a bit closer to Hikaru. From the sounds of things, whatever was going on was serious, "Is there a boy you like?"

Hikaru recoiled a bit, "No!" She immediately took a second to calm down, knowing that her friend had not meant to insult her, "No, it's nothing like that. But I feel different. Almost like I want to be a girl sometimes."

"Maybe you're just getting used to your girl half. Shouldn't you be able to enjoy life as a woman as much as you enjoy life as a man?"

Hikaru blinked, "Huh?" It was amazing how Kasumi came up with these answers -- her logic was so simple, so obvious, and yet nobody but Kasumi ever thought of them. She added, "So you're telling me that you think this is natural?"

"I don't know. But maybe your curse is only a curse if you let it bother you."

Hikaru kept her head down, studying the floor intently, "I don't know..."

Kasumi sighed... Hikaru wasn't sexist, but he did maintain a firm grasp on his masculinity. Enjoying life as a girl could seem threatening to someone like that. As she thought about it, though, Hikaru was already radiating femininity in her appearance and actions. She seemed very vulnerable and fragile, and the male Hikaru would never have gotten this nervous. Masculinity was pure illusion at this point. "What if you were meant to be this way?"

Hikaru shook her head, "I don't believe that. The choices of my life led me to this point. When I saw Ranma falling towards the spring, I wanted to save him from having to deal with this..." She stopped abruptly, remembering Ranma's recent fall into Nyanniichuan. The sacrifice accomplished nothing.

Kasumi realized what the silence was about, "And that was very brave and selfless of you. You were willing to take on a curse in order to save your best friend. Does it matter now whether or not Ranma is cursed?"

Hikaru suddenly realized it didn't matter at all. She did what she could, and nothing more. "No, I guess not."

"And since it's a choice you made, you believe you have to live with it, right?"

Hikaru was forced to accept that she had no choice anymore. What was done, remains done. Kasumi watched Hikaru for a second, then received a quiet whisper in response, "What do I do?"

Kasumi was taken aback. She tried to avoid the maternal image she kept around everyone else when she was alone with Hikaru. Becoming Hikaru's advisor might bring it back, "Well... I'm not sure. I don't really know what it's like for you..."

"Forget that. Forget I'm even a guy. How do I live as a girl?"

"Hikaru-chan... you can't expect to be exactly the same as any other girl."

"I guess you're right. That was kind of a stupid question."

Kasumi attempted to rearrange her thoughts. Things were going way off track. She had meant to help Hikaru deal with the curse, and now he... no, she wanted to become like any other girl. The best she could do was be supportive, and decided to use herself as an example, "How about this? A lot of girls grow up wanting to be like their mothers. Why don't you try using yours as a role model? You could spend some time with female friends, as a girl. That way, you'll have a better idea of what kind of..." She almost choked on the word, trying desperately to keep Hikaru from noticing her hesitation, "... girl you want to be."

"Okay. I'll do that. Thanks, Kasumi."

Kasumi smiled and hugged Hikaru. Not the motherly, supportive hug she was used to giving, but a heartfelt hug between friends. She realized then that Hikaru was her only real friend, and was happy that she was able to help. Hikaru was kind of surprised by the hug at first, but found herself subconsciously returning it. Kasumi suddenly had an idea, "Hikaru-chan, why don't you sleep here tonight?"

Hikaru stopped dead. She hadn't made the complete gender switch in her mind yet. "In... in... your..."

"Well, you have been very feminine lately." She noticed that Hikaru didn't react negatively to the female reference, "Besides, as a guest in our home, we can't allow a girl such as yourself to share a room with a boy, can we?" Kasumi smiled - there was a hint of humor to her usual insistence at proper behavior.

Hikaru paused a moment and heard Ranma's voice in the background. He was definitely male at the moment. Hikaru smiled back, glancing at herself in a nearby mirror, "The real question is: do I ever want him to see me in these clothes?"

Kasumi laughed. It was the first time she had genuinely laughed at a joke, in a long time. Hikaru noticed Kasumi's laughter growing and was about to point out that the joke wasn't that funny. Soon, though, she found herself laughing as well.

---

Nabiki looked around -- she had fallen asleep hiding in the guest room closet of Tsunami Koji's house. She opened the closet door, quietly, and stepped out into the room. It was unoccupied. She then crept out into the hallway and heard a voice coming from the garden. She peeked out, trying to stay as hidden as possible. A man with blond hair and wearing a blue Chinese robe was training with a pair of bokken. She stared, '_He's as good as Kunou... no, better than Kunou. If this is that man who shows up to train every once in a while, he's also rich..._' She reminded herself to remain watchful over this one... if she could find out enough about this strange man, he could be her greatest source of income since Kunou himself.

---

In the garden, under the full moon, Koji was blissfully unaware that he had just become a target.

---

That same night, in the Tendou dojo, Ranma awoke to a strange noise... a voice? No, two voices. It was then that he noticed that Hikaru was gone. Ranma crept silently out of the room and through the house. The sound was coming from Kasumi's room. He paused a good distance away... probably just Akane or Nabiki talking with Kasumi about something he really didn't want to snoop into. But as he began to turn away, he recognized the other voice. Either Hikari had come while he was asleep, or... '_Hikaru?!_'

As silently as he had walked through the halls of the Tendou residence, Ranma ascended to the rooftop. As he slipped down the wall of the dojo, inverted, he saw Kasumi and Onna-Hikaru, both wearing nightgowns, chatting like... well, like girlfriends. If they weren't upside down... oh, yeah, he was the one upside down... well, he could barely lip-read anyway, and their voices were way too muffled. Best to just forget about it. But... Hikaru?! Hikaru would tell him if something was going on, right? And about Kasumi... he really knew Kasumi as the mother figure of the family, so this seemed a little abnormal for her as well. Then again, Hikaru was the same age as Kasumi...

Thus, Ranma left the rooftop and went back to bed, hoping against hope that someday, he would understand the events of that night.

---

Saotome Nodoka had spent the night with the Zugaikotsu family. She had not yet decided whether she was ready to see her son yet, and from what she had learned, he was staying at the Tendou home. Her arrival would be delayed, at least for a short time. She sat at the table, alone, drinking some tea she had just prepared. Hikari walked into the room, wearing a simple nightgown much like Kasumi and Hikaru had been wearing in the Tendou residence, "Saotome-san?"

Nodoka looked up and smiled, "Hello, Hikari. Please, call me Auntie Nodoka." She motioned to a spot next to herself, and Hikari sat down.

After a few moments, Hikari spoke again, "Auntie Nodoka... what do you think of this Jusenkyou curse?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like Mother said, my brother and Ranma both were cursed with female bodies... do you think it would have any effect on them? Other than physically, I mean."

"Maybe." Nodoka frowned, "Shouldn't you ask your mother about this? She knows much more about these Jusenkyou springs than I do."

"She says no, but..." Hikari pulled her knees toward herself, suddenly feeling a bit chilled, "I know Hikaru. He's my twin brother... but I have this weird feeling tonight that I have a twin sister. It's never happened before, not even since he got cursed. I... don't think it has to do with his body. He..." She stopped, feeling that the male pronoun was incorrect for some reason, "... She is feeling very nervous... vulnerable. That's not the Hikaru I know."

Nodoka nodded pensively, "Okay. When I leave for the Tendou dojo, I'll ask Mei-Lin if she'll let you come along. That way, we can both find out for ourselves."

Hikari smiled, "Thank you, Saotome-sa... um, Auntie."

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**Author's Notes:**

I know... this one was kind of short. I felt this was the best place to end the chapter, and I had nothing else to add. The next part will go more into Hikaru's growing uncertainty about the curse, while Ranma has to deal with a familiar face. Guess who? Of course, a lot of things in this story are happening for the 'second' time, as far as many well-versed Ranma fans are concerned, which is why I'm not focusing on Ranma as a main character as much as I'd like to. And I know I haven't done much with Akane yet. It's because she's practically useless to me as a character unless the familiar bickering is going on, and I need to focus more on Ranma for that to happen. I will attempt to do so in future chapters, although Nabiki has taken over Akane's level of importance in the series as Ranma's fiancée. I do plan to find a new niche for Akane soon... I can't bring myself to just ignore her, after all. I also intend to include Reiko in major parts of the storyline, and some of the other characters who have only played minor parts thus far. After all, that's part of Takahashi-san's style. As always, reviews, comments, and even flames are welcome from my adoring (or maybe not) public.

**Extra Note:**

Earlier in the series, Reiko is asked to refer to Soun as "Uncle Soun". While, in this chapter, Hikari calls Nodoka "Auntie Nodoka." This is based on the Japanese terms _ojisan_ (uncle) and _obasan_ (aunt), which are used in the Japanese dialogue of the Ranma 1/2 anime. The Tendou girls will probably refer to Genma as an uncle and Nodoka as an aunt, also. This is because I'm trying to stay true to the original Japanese source, while keeping as much of the story as possible in English for the sake of my readers. Hope that clears up any confusion for you official-translation fans!

_Kimura Ayame_


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